Page 32 - IB December 2024

USP
USP LEADER SIGNALS PLAN TO RESIGN

By Samantha Magick Senate revert to the criteria used in the past to shortlist and
appoint VCs. Eligible candidates must have Pacific work and/
University of the South Pacific (USP) Council members or research experience. The criterion that only a professor
meeting in Cook Islands in late November heard Vice can be appointed should be removed for two reasons: first,
Chancellor and President (VCP) Pal Ahluwalia state his USP’s experience with recent professorial appointments has
intention to resign, and that he wanted to negotiate the been disastrous; and second, it closes the door on potential
package and terms of his resignation. Pasifika candidates. The two best VCs from the region were
Professor Ahluwalia’s leadership of the University has the late Mr Esekia Solofa and the late Mr Savenaca Siwatibau.
been plagued by controversy, culiminating in a strike by the One need not necessarily be an academic to be a good VC.”
Association of USP Staff and USP Staff Union, calling for his They note that “several courses and programmes at USP
resignation or removal in October. have either been canned or are in crisis because of the flight
USP says it has not received any official resignation from of good staff and failure to replace them. The former flagship
the Vice Chancellor in response to questions from Islands Governance programme is dead, and Development Studies is
Business. dying. Other disciplines such as Agricultural Science, Marine
A media release issued by USP noted that Professor Studies, History, Sociology, Geospatial Science, Population
Ahluwalia referenced the new Solomon Islands campus of USP, Studies and Demography, and Pacific Studies, are in crisis. USP
and USP’s ascension by 200 places in the 2025 Times Higher Press is dead, and the Oceania Centre for Arts and Culture is
Education (THE) World University Rankings, as evidence of its fading away.
strong performance in 2024 in his report to Council. “Among staff who have resigned and left are some very
In the only reference to the dispute between USP good regional staff. USP under the present VC has failed to
management and the staff unions, the VCP noted that provide an enabling environment for the advancement of
discussions were ongoing and being conducted in good faith. qualified younger regional academic staff, and has shown
However, three former and current USP staff members, little interest in retaining more senior regional staff.
Professor Vijay Naidu, Elizabeth Reade Fong and Morgan They suggest the convening of a USP Futures Conference to
Tuimaleali’ifano, have since written that if Professor “bring together new ideas and strategies to plan the best way
Ahluwalia does depart, “it is vital that the USP Council and forward to regain its premier status”.

32 Islands Business, December 2024